The present invention relates to a polarizing plate and an image display device.
In recent years, liquid crystal display devices and particularly those for medium- and small-sized applications are decreasing in thickness and members to be used therefor (e.g., a polarizing plate) are correspondingly required to have reduced thicknesses.
Exemplary methods of reducing the thickness of a polarizing plate include a method in which the thickness of a polarizer itself or a protective film thereof is reduced, and a method in which a protective film to be disposed on the opposite side surface of a polarizer to a liquid crystal cell (outer protective film) and a protective film to be disposed between the polarizer and the liquid crystal cell (inner protective film) are not used.
To be more specific, JP 2007-334307 A describes, for such a thickness reduction method, a polarizing plate comprising a polarizer and a cured resin layer, wherein the cured resin layer is formed directly on at least one surface of the polarizer and the cured resin layer is one formed of a solventless photocurable composition comprising: an ingredient (A); an ingredient (B); and an ingredient (C) shown below:    (A) at least one of a polyfunctional acrylic monomer and a polyfunctional methacrylic monomer;    (B) a photocurable prepolymer; and    (C) a photopolymerization initiator (claim 1).
JP 2008-107432 A describes a polarizing plate in which an intervening layer formed of a thermosetting resin is directly stacked on at least one surface of a polarizer and a hard coat layer formed of a thermosetting or photocurable resin is directly stacked on the intervening layer (claim 1).
JP 2011-221185 A describes a polarizing plate comprising: a polarizer; and a cured resin layer, wherein the cured resin layer is formed directly on at least one surface of the polarizer and the cured resin layer is one formed of a curable resin composition comprising: an ingredient (A) and an ingredient (B) shown below:    (A) a polyfunctional (meth)acrylic monomer having three or more (meth)acryloyl groups in the molecule structure; and    (B) a monofunctional or difunctional (meth)acrylic monomer having at least one hydroxyl group and one or two (meth)acryloyl groups in the molecular structure (claim 1).